Games degrees inadequate

Industry chiefs slate UK training

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Training for the games industry in the UK is not up to scratch. So say several industry bigwigs who have criticised the graduate programs available. This has turned up in a(nother) report by The Daily Mail – a media organ known for the gimlet eye it keeps on the values and machinations of the gaming world.

"Shocked and surprised" was the verdict of David Braben, founder of Lost Winds studio Frontier Development, when he described the skills of many of the graduates, while Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Europe vice president Jamie MacDonald said, "I can't remember the last time I employed someone from them."

Four degrees of less obvious education

Four degree courses are officially accredited by Skillset, which represents the creative media industry. Two of these are available from the University of Abertay Dundee and one each at the University of the West of Scotland, and the Glamorgan Centre for Art & Design Technology. According to the Mail, over 80 other such degree courses exist in the UK.

That gaming degrees and the name 'Mickey Mouse' have been linked is no great surprise particularly when the connection is made by The Daily Mail, self-appointed protector of Middle England, and crusader against change in general, and immoral video games in particular.

More than 200 British firms are joining forces to promote 'Games Up?' – a campaign that aims to highlight the danger to the UK's share of this lucrative £18 billion industry. TechRadar will be keeping a close eye on these developments as will, no doubt, our friends and rivals at The Daily Mail.